8 80 Cities Call for Volunteers: Public Life Study, Mel Lastman Square

This July, 8 80 Cities is measuring how people move and engage with public spaces across the GTA, and they’re looking for volunteer researchers!

A Public Life Study (PLS) is a form of real-time data collection that includes simple counting, mapping, and surveying tools to measure how people use, pass through, and engage with public spaces.

This data helps city builders assess how a space measures up before a public space transformation begins!

Now, 8 80 Cities is looking to measure how these programming and space improvements will impact community use and wellbeing. As a volunteer, you can expect a short 4-hour shift in which you will map movement and activity using templated data-collection tools and survey community members about their experiences at Mel Latman Square.

Responsibilities

• There will be a mandatory virtual PLS Training on Thursday, July 23, 2026 (11:30 AM – 1:30 PM)
• Part-time, four-hour shifts
• Public Life Studies will take place at Mel Lastman Square in North York, Toronto, on Friday July 24, Saturday July 25, and Tuesday July 28.

Volunteers should be familiar with or interested in developing skills in placemaking, urban planning, spatial design, data analysis, and community engagement. Individuals from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community are encouraged to apply. Applications are open on a rolling basis until July 24, 2026.